The Baroness by Thor Bjorn Krebs translated by Kim Dambaek
“…Matthew Zajac’s fine production…Roberta Taylor…brought flair, depth and a fine edge of teetering on the brink of an abyss to her depiction of Blixen”
The Herald
“Roberta Taylor gives a powerful, vivid performance as Blixen, with Ewan Donald in fine form as the poet, and Aidan O’Rourke providing some terrific, jarring recorded violin music.” The Scotsman
Cast
Roberta Taylor Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen)
Ewan Donald Thorkild Bjørnvig
Romana Abercromby Benedicte Jensen
Matthew Zajac Director
Thor Bjon Krebs Writer
Kim Dambaek Translator
Aidan O’Rouke Composer
Catherine Deverell Designer
Kate Bonney Lighting Designer
Sholto Bruce Production Manager
John Spiers Stage & Company Manager
Hamish MacDonald Producer/Administrator
Laurence Winram Promotion/publicity image
Emma Quinn Print Design
Liz Smith Press & Publicity
Dogstar Theatre would like to thank
Alex MacDonald and staff at An Lanntair Stornoway, Creative Scotland, Mary Deverell, Set construction by Robin Johnston, Scottish Opera Costume Department, Jane Nestor, Virginia Radcliffe, Licketyspit Theatre Company, St. James Church Leith, Lee Randall, Berit Gullberg, The Danish Cultural Institute, Scottish Poetry Library
“…sharp and witty…as uncomfortable as it is compelling…Taylor captures the arrogant and devious elements in Blixen’s character while maintaining the charisma and humour that undoubtedly made her popular.” TV Bomb
“The actors draw us into their mesmerising and destructive relationship. Roberta Taylor is excellent as Blixen.” East Coast FM
The Play
“In a sense, hers was no idle boast that she was three thousand years old, a witch who had dined with Socrates.” Thorkild Bjornvig in his memoir of his relationship with Blixen, THE PACT
In 1948, at the age of 62, Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), the great Danish writer of Out of Africa and Seven Gothic Tales, met the young poet and writer, Thorkild Bjørnvig, 29 years old. He was newly married and had a recent publishing debut of notable success under his belt. The two shared a powerful and intimate friendship, their pact, which lasted 6 years, before falling apart.
“I have known no one, ever, who was such a master as Karen Blixen, of long periods of silence….the active, open kind.” THE PACT
”The Baroness” premiered to rave reviews at the Folketeatret in Copenhagen in 2011 and was nominated as play of the year in the 2012 Danish Theatre Awards. The play is Thor Bjorn Krebs’s provocative, free interpretation of the relationship between Blixen and Bjornvig, a relationship which is both platonic and sexually charged and which questions and challenges the role and nature of the artist. Full of tension and poetry, with three tremendous acting roles, the play is inspired by anecdotes, letters and books by and about both Blixen and Bjørnvig. The play features a third character, Benedicte Jensen, the young wife of Bjornvig’s publisher and patron.
At the height of their relationship, Bjørnvig stayed with the Baroness at her home, Rungstedlund. On a chilly day several years later – at the end of their friendship – Blixen called on Bjørnvig at his summer house in Kandestederne, in the northern most part of Denmark. The play primarily takes place in these two locations. The pact almost certainly ended completely in 1955, the same year Bjornvig published his collection Anubis. Blixen published her Last Tales in 1957, in which there are four stories which clearly relate to their friendship.
"Our bodies are comprised of water. So the moon draws us, like it draws the tide. We are one with the moon. The moon gives us a chance for renewal.
There is only now. You and I. In a garden in Rungstedlund. Forget all your ties and connections to the outside world. You will experience that everything here is larger and richer than anything else." from THE BARONESS
The Herald
“Roberta Taylor gives a powerful, vivid performance as Blixen, with Ewan Donald in fine form as the poet, and Aidan O’Rourke providing some terrific, jarring recorded violin music.” The Scotsman
Cast
Roberta Taylor Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen)
Ewan Donald Thorkild Bjørnvig
Romana Abercromby Benedicte Jensen
Matthew Zajac Director
Thor Bjon Krebs Writer
Kim Dambaek Translator
Aidan O’Rouke Composer
Catherine Deverell Designer
Kate Bonney Lighting Designer
Sholto Bruce Production Manager
John Spiers Stage & Company Manager
Hamish MacDonald Producer/Administrator
Laurence Winram Promotion/publicity image
Emma Quinn Print Design
Liz Smith Press & Publicity
Dogstar Theatre would like to thank
Alex MacDonald and staff at An Lanntair Stornoway, Creative Scotland, Mary Deverell, Set construction by Robin Johnston, Scottish Opera Costume Department, Jane Nestor, Virginia Radcliffe, Licketyspit Theatre Company, St. James Church Leith, Lee Randall, Berit Gullberg, The Danish Cultural Institute, Scottish Poetry Library
“…sharp and witty…as uncomfortable as it is compelling…Taylor captures the arrogant and devious elements in Blixen’s character while maintaining the charisma and humour that undoubtedly made her popular.” TV Bomb
“The actors draw us into their mesmerising and destructive relationship. Roberta Taylor is excellent as Blixen.” East Coast FM
The Play
“In a sense, hers was no idle boast that she was three thousand years old, a witch who had dined with Socrates.” Thorkild Bjornvig in his memoir of his relationship with Blixen, THE PACT
In 1948, at the age of 62, Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), the great Danish writer of Out of Africa and Seven Gothic Tales, met the young poet and writer, Thorkild Bjørnvig, 29 years old. He was newly married and had a recent publishing debut of notable success under his belt. The two shared a powerful and intimate friendship, their pact, which lasted 6 years, before falling apart.
“I have known no one, ever, who was such a master as Karen Blixen, of long periods of silence….the active, open kind.” THE PACT
”The Baroness” premiered to rave reviews at the Folketeatret in Copenhagen in 2011 and was nominated as play of the year in the 2012 Danish Theatre Awards. The play is Thor Bjorn Krebs’s provocative, free interpretation of the relationship between Blixen and Bjornvig, a relationship which is both platonic and sexually charged and which questions and challenges the role and nature of the artist. Full of tension and poetry, with three tremendous acting roles, the play is inspired by anecdotes, letters and books by and about both Blixen and Bjørnvig. The play features a third character, Benedicte Jensen, the young wife of Bjornvig’s publisher and patron.
At the height of their relationship, Bjørnvig stayed with the Baroness at her home, Rungstedlund. On a chilly day several years later – at the end of their friendship – Blixen called on Bjørnvig at his summer house in Kandestederne, in the northern most part of Denmark. The play primarily takes place in these two locations. The pact almost certainly ended completely in 1955, the same year Bjornvig published his collection Anubis. Blixen published her Last Tales in 1957, in which there are four stories which clearly relate to their friendship.
"Our bodies are comprised of water. So the moon draws us, like it draws the tide. We are one with the moon. The moon gives us a chance for renewal.
There is only now. You and I. In a garden in Rungstedlund. Forget all your ties and connections to the outside world. You will experience that everything here is larger and richer than anything else." from THE BARONESS
This play starts with a young writer, who is at the beginning of both his career and his family life and caught in a big crisis. That's where I was when I started this play. You have proven your talent, full of expectations - but you are very confused and fragile. Open to criticism and open to praise. At that point I seriously doubted if I should or could write anymore. So I could indeed relate to the friendship between the old Baroness and the young poet.
It also tells about the special relationship between a mentor and an apprentice. I have had a mentor myself, and for a young artist this can have a big impact. It can change your self-image and your whole life. It starts with a novice meeting the untouchable oracle - but it has a built-in expiry date. The balance in this very close relationship will change, and there is something at stake for both parties.
I started in the shoes of the young writer Bjornvig - but then came my meeting with Blixen. As with many others, I developed a great fascination for her writing, her life, her very special destiny and her genius. So from the novice meeting the master, the play also became a journey into Blixen's extraordinary world and soul.
Blixen is such a big character in Denmark, and in world literature, so to ask her for a dance was quite scary and awe-inspiring. Like touching the crown jewels. But she said herself: “To young artists in doubt: Do the most dangerous and the most unheard of. You must have courage”.
Thor Bjorn Krebs
Roberta Taylor plays Karen Blixen. One of Britain’s most talented and respected actresses, Roberta was a member of the Citizens Theatre Company prior to becoming a household name as Irene Raymond in the BBC soap Eastenders and as Gina Gold in ITV’s The Bill. Also a successful author, her memoir, Too Many Mothers, is a best-seller.
Aidan O’Rourke, one of Scotland’s most exciting violinists, is a member of the extraordinary trio LAU, three times winner BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Band of Year.
Thor Bjørn Krebs made his debut as a writer and director at Theater Grob with The Art of Maintaining a Father in 2000. During the last 12 years he has written for many of the theatres in Copenhagen. In 2003 he wrote About Tommy, the first Danish play to focus on the experiences of Danish soldiers serving in the UN peace keeping forces, touring throughout Denmark, and also played the Theater Schaubühne in Berlin and was also acclaimed at Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Melbourne. His twelfth play The Baroness- Isak Dinesens' Final Affair established his success. He is a three times nominee as best playwright for the Danish Theater Award, Reumert.. He was also the co-writer for Mungo Park - Manden bag navnet” (Mungo Park - the Man behind then Name) Teater Mungo Park 2006.
It also tells about the special relationship between a mentor and an apprentice. I have had a mentor myself, and for a young artist this can have a big impact. It can change your self-image and your whole life. It starts with a novice meeting the untouchable oracle - but it has a built-in expiry date. The balance in this very close relationship will change, and there is something at stake for both parties.
I started in the shoes of the young writer Bjornvig - but then came my meeting with Blixen. As with many others, I developed a great fascination for her writing, her life, her very special destiny and her genius. So from the novice meeting the master, the play also became a journey into Blixen's extraordinary world and soul.
Blixen is such a big character in Denmark, and in world literature, so to ask her for a dance was quite scary and awe-inspiring. Like touching the crown jewels. But she said herself: “To young artists in doubt: Do the most dangerous and the most unheard of. You must have courage”.
Thor Bjorn Krebs
Roberta Taylor plays Karen Blixen. One of Britain’s most talented and respected actresses, Roberta was a member of the Citizens Theatre Company prior to becoming a household name as Irene Raymond in the BBC soap Eastenders and as Gina Gold in ITV’s The Bill. Also a successful author, her memoir, Too Many Mothers, is a best-seller.
Aidan O’Rourke, one of Scotland’s most exciting violinists, is a member of the extraordinary trio LAU, three times winner BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Band of Year.
Thor Bjørn Krebs made his debut as a writer and director at Theater Grob with The Art of Maintaining a Father in 2000. During the last 12 years he has written for many of the theatres in Copenhagen. In 2003 he wrote About Tommy, the first Danish play to focus on the experiences of Danish soldiers serving in the UN peace keeping forces, touring throughout Denmark, and also played the Theater Schaubühne in Berlin and was also acclaimed at Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Melbourne. His twelfth play The Baroness- Isak Dinesens' Final Affair established his success. He is a three times nominee as best playwright for the Danish Theater Award, Reumert.. He was also the co-writer for Mungo Park - Manden bag navnet” (Mungo Park - the Man behind then Name) Teater Mungo Park 2006.
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Scottish Tour Venues 2013
The Uk Premiere Of The Baroness Took Place At An Lanntair Arts Centre, Stornoway On Friday August 30th 2013
Karen Blixen
Karen von Blixen-Finecke was a Danish author also known under her pen name Isak Dinesen. She was born in April 1883 in Rungsted, Denmark, and studied art in Copenhagen, Paris, and Rome. She began publishing fiction in various Danish periodicals in 1905 under the pseudonym Osceola. In 1914 she married her Swedish cousin, Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke, after a failed romance with his brother, and the couple moved to Kenya where they ran a coffee plantation. During the first year of her marriage, she was diagnosed with syphilis, which although it was eventually cured, caused medical problems throughout her life and as a result she separated from her husband in 1921. Following her husband's unfaithfulness the couple divorced in 1925. Karen subsequently fell in love with the game hunter Denys Finch Hatton whom she had met in Kenya. She remained in Kenya and continued to operate the plantation until Hatton's death, in 1931 when his Biplane crashed. She returned to Denmark and began writing in earnest, publishing Seven Gothic Tales in English in 1934 under her pen name Isak Dinesen, and received great critical acclaim. This was followed by her most famous book Out of Africa the story of life in Kenya in 1937. She was awarded the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat in 1939, Denmark's highest accolade for women in the arts or academic life. |
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During World War II Blixen started to write her only full length novel The Angelic Avengers', published in 1944. Later she wrote stories such as 'Babette's Feast and An Immortal Story. Durng the 1950s her health was deteriorating and writing became impossible. She toured the USA in 1959, where she met Arthur Miller, E E Cummings and Pearl Buck who all admired her writing skills. Blixen wrote her stories in English first and then translated them into her native language. She died in 1962 at Rungsted, aged 77, apparently from malnutrition, but there have been rumours that she was still suffering from syphilis or anorexia.
Much of her work was published posthumously. Karen, the suburb of Nairobi, where she made her home and operated her coffee plantation, was named after her. It is there that there is a Karen Blixen Coffee House and Museum, set in one of her former homes. 371
Much of her work was published posthumously. Karen, the suburb of Nairobi, where she made her home and operated her coffee plantation, was named after her. It is there that there is a Karen Blixen Coffee House and Museum, set in one of her former homes. 371
